[kj] Thread attempt one: ex's back

[Brendan]

This is the skinny on training with weights and its effect on athletic
performance, so listen up you skinny little runts ;)

The myth that resistance exercise is no good for athletic performance
largely stems from the results of american athletes in the 70s. They
started using weights, contrary to popular opinion that weights make one
'muscle-bound' (which is true but generally only in the absence of a
commensurate stretching routine). The problem is that they used
bodybuilding protocols, because they were seen as the experts on gym
training, when in fact most bodybuilders aren't that au fait with how the
body adapts to exercise at all, in particular not in terms of athletic
performance. Bodybuilding training protocols are geared towards maximum
muscular hypertrophy (size), as opposed to athletic performance.
Bodybuilding protocols in general are:

more isolation vs compound movements - proper athletic conditioning
includes both, with more of an emphasis on compound explosive movements,
however isolation exercises always have their place, especially in
correcting imbalances, strengthening weak links (forearms, calves for
example) and rehab / prehab. One of the easiest ways to increase a big
lift is to use islation movements to shore up a weak link that is holding
the movement back...

slower movements - slow contractions train the muscle to contract slowly,
which is not what you want in most sports. Athletes should generally train
with fast contractions, and relatively slower eccentric (lowering)...I can
explain why the slow eccentric is important if you want, it's a bit
involved. Generally though a range of tempos should be used...

volume over intensity - more work at a lower work rate. The morern
understanding is that intensity is more important than volume, although a
certain amount of volume is required to build work capacity / endurance.
Horses for courses...

Lighter weights - the slow movements and long workouts dictate that
lighter weights (relative to what the individual is capable of of course)
are used...

In fact, the lifts, distances, times, etc in nearly every single sport
have been increased dramatically with the adoption of proper athletic
resistance training. Your friend is probably right if he was pointing and
laughing at bodybuilders...except it probably wasn't their goal to be able
to perform athletically, getting bigger muscles was their goal. Whether
that's laudable in itself is a matter of opinion I suppose, I have my own
but won't share :)

At the end of the day, increased muscle size increases the potential (note
I said potential) for increased strength, and increased strength increases
the potential for increased size. Training that incorporates both methods
is optimal for many sports, with an emphasis on whatever particular
physical traits are important to that sport, such as strength, speed,
endurance, or flexibility.


>    Been thinking of restarting my old routine. Between working out

> and hiking (locally in Griffith Park) twice a week physically it was the

> best time of my life.

>    I used to do a pyramid each of squats, back extensions (flexing

> upper back also), pullups, pushups (wide-grip,shoulder-width, and

> narrow-) dips, and military press, in about that order .I would throw in

> dive-bomber pushups and Pilates if i start it up again.

>    I'd do abs after warming up, I never used any weights, just a pullup

> bar at home and a pair of heavy leather boots for the military press

> and it was a whole lot more fun and effective than doing weights and

> going to a gym and running into those 'roided lab-experiments seducing

> themselves in all the mirrors.

>   Very early on I worked  at a YMCA and i asked a former Navy SEAL

> what he thought about all the size queens on the free weight floors and

> he just honestly laughed, said there was absolutely no advantage in it

> whatsoever, period.

>  

>

>

>

> ... ... ... ... ... ...

> (looking at the current state of things)

>

> 'Save me..                                                

>  save me from Tomorrow..                          

>  I don't want to sail in this Ship Of Fools...!'  

>

> --- On Wed, 7/16/08, Brendan <bq at soundgardener.co.nz> wrote:

>

> From: Brendan <bq at soundgardener.co.nz>

> Subject: Re: [kj] Thread attempt one: ex's back

> To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)"

> <gathering at misera.net>

> Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008, 6:38 PM

>

> A lot of ppl are after tha 'best' ab exercise...I do a range of 10-15 or

> so different exercises (most done on the floor with bodyweight or perhaps

> a medicine ball for external resistance) over the course of a 3-month or

> so program, also modifying the volume, intensity, prioritisation, and

> tempo, along a continuum going from light, isolated, slow movements at the

> beginning, to harder, quicker, more compound movements towards the end of

> the program. A single exercise and single set / rep scheme is sub-optimal,

> and will in fact lead to muslce imbalances over time.

>

> The exercise you mention is an absolute killer, but it's a compromise. It

> works the upper abs and hip flexors simultaneously, the nervous system is

> also taxed initially because it has to learn a relatively complex movement

> involving balancing the body while performing two different joint flexions

> patterns...you're flexing the trunk and also flexing at the hip. But

> because you're doing two joint movements simultaneously, there are some

> advantages and some disadvantages. Mixed training = mixed results, as they

> say. There is very little rotation, side flexion, and no real postural

> recruitment. No exercise provides all that. Yoga and Pilates do however,

> as performed undre a good teacher.

>

> I just wrote a big spiel on ab training and back pain, lost it when I went

> to put on some music on this PC, will re-do it sometime if anyone is

> interested. Basically though, go to Pilates or Yoga because they are

> great, I've done both and both have helped with back pain and more :) But

> ab training is probably at most 25% of lower back injury prevention /

> rehab...you also need to consider stretching, massage, posture, nutrition

> / hydration, assymetrical activities, mindset / stress, etc...

>

>>   What are those situps called where you do a crunch while pulling your

>> knees up

>> to your stomach? Supposed to be the best thing ever...

>>

>>  

>> ... ... ... ... ... ...

>> (looking at the current state of things)

>>

>> 'Save

> me..                                                

>>  save me from Tomorrow..                 

>         

>>  I don't want to sail in this Ship Of Fools...!'  

>>

>> --- On Wed, 7/16/08, folk devil <folkdevil_23 at hotmail.com> wrote:

>>

>> From: folk devil <folkdevil_23 at hotmail.com>

>> Subject: Re: [kj] Thread attempt one: ex's back

>> To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)"

>> <gathering at misera.net>

>> Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008, 8:14 AM

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> #yiv537169317 .hmmessage P

>> {

>> margin:0px;padding:0px;}

>> #yiv537169317 {

>> FONT-SIZE:10pt;FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma;}

>>

>> strengthen your abs first, otherwise your back is always going to give

>> you

>> grief..

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:56:50 -0400

>> From: killingjoke at theimmortalfool.com

>> To: gathering at misera.net

>> Subject: Re: [kj] Thread attempt one: Poll

>>

>> Had back issues for a long long time. I did cut down on my biking since

>> I

>> started handball.

>> Only did 20 miles today earlier (Had time off in the afternoon). Then

>> handball at night for 1 hour.

>>

>>

>>

>>

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